“Europe will become strong through the member states that form it also becoming strong, and not through Brussels being strong, but the member states weak”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday at the Tiszafüred stop of the Fidesz-KDNP coalition’s nationwide roadshow prior to the upcoming local government elections.

At the public forum held in the city’s cultural centre, Mr. Szijjártó stated: “A country can be strong if it has a strong attachment to its national identity and a strong respect for its cultural, religious and historical heritage”. “The Hungarians are proud to have kept Hungary as a Hungarian country and will continue to do so in the future”, he said.

“The 13 October local elections are another opportunity for the Hungarian people to make clear what they want”, he said.

He recalled that in 2010 in Hungary, unemployment was 12.5 percent, government debt was constantly rising, and the budget was in ruins. “At that time, no one would have predicted that Hungary would be ranked number one in the European Union in terms of its rate of economic growth”, he said. "From the tail-enders of Europe, we have developed to become the frontrunners”, he added

Peter Szijjártó emphasized that since 2015 Europe has been "under severe pressure" and since then hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants have arrived in Europe. “In 2015, 400,000 illegal immigrants ‘marched through’ Hungary. They ignored the rules, the laws; blocked the traffic on motorways and railways, occupied the railway stations, and demanded that they be taken to Germany immediately”, he said.

“According to some opposition politicians, not only would Hungary be able to admit illegal immigrants, but they would also be ‘to our advantage’. They are calling for Hungarian taxpayers' money to be paid to countries that have admitted illegal immigrants based on their own decisions", the Minister said.

“The migration crisis has reached a new chapter; there are 30-35 million people living in the vicinity of Europe who could decide to set off towards Europe at any time because of their living conditions. None of the reasons or conflicts that have been the cause of migration in recent years have disappeared or been resolved, and the European Union is pursuing an invitation-based migration policy, as is the decision by the new Italian government”, he stated.

“Next, they will take up the issue of the compulsory resettlement quotas, and pressure will come again from Brussels for Hungary to allow the admission of migrants”, Mr. Szijjártó explained. "Anyone thinks we will ever bow to such pressure has misunderstood us," the Minister emphasised.

“The Hungarian people have on at least three occasions committed the government to not allowing a single illegal immigrant into the country”, he said. "We have succeeded in protecting ourselves so far, ourselves and will continue to do so," he stressed. “The Hungarians are not alone; Central European cooperation is stable and strong in this regard”, he added.

“It is outrageous that today in Europe only those who endanger the security of their country and of their citizens are regarded as showing solidarity”, the Hungarian Foreign Minister declared. “The migration policies of Brussels and the EU institutions are dangerous to the people of Europe. Since 2015, 33 terrorist attacks have been committed in Europe by people with migrant backgrounds, more than 300 people have been killed and over 1400 have been wounded. In Western Europe, the social integration that has been stressed with relation to immigration has failed, and parallel societies have come about”, he said.

“The local government elections on 13 October are another opportunity for the Hungarian people to make clear what they want”, he said. “The national interest comes first for the Hungarian Government, and for this reason we will be ‘under severe pressure’ in the coming period”, he emphasised. “The international liberal media the political elite, cannot understand this and find it unacceptable”, he said. “It is therefore important that the current Fidesz-KDNP government continues to receive a similar level of support”, the stated.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade called on those present to elect leaders in Tiszafüred who are able to cooperate with the government on the basis of the national interest, and who set cmposed construction as their goal, and to vote for the current Fidesz-KDNP party mayor Imre Ujvári and the party’s candidates.

(MTI)